Almost no one saw No. 8 Kentucky coming.

Fresh off a disappointing end to the Mark Stoops era and with a first-time head coach in 37-year-old Will Stein, the Wildcats were picked 14th in the SEC preseason media poll, ahead of only Mississippi State and Arkansas.

One person who believed was Stein himself, who responded when asked this summer why he thought Kentucky could win big in this conference: “I think because of me, to be honest,” he said.

Eight games into the season, the Wildcats are atop the SEC and somehow in position to earn at least an at-large College Football Playoff appearance. Even in an era when Indiana can win a championship, this sudden burst has been hard to believe.

Kentucky isn’t the only team rising above preseason expectations in one of the wildest and wackiest first two months in modern Bowl Subdivision history.

The Wildcats, No. 7 UCLA, No. 15 Wake Forest, No. 18 Northwestern and more lead USA TODAY Sports’ list of the Power Four’s biggest success stories:

No. 5 Utah (7-0)

Now led by Morgan Scalley, Utah stands as the only unbeaten team in the Big 12 after a hard-fought win this past Saturday night against No. 19 Houston. One reason has been the production of quarterbacks Devon Dampier and backup Byrd Ficklin, who have combined for 17 passing touchdowns and another six scores on the ground. Defensively, the Utes have held all but one FBS opponent to under 3.4 yards per carry and have yet to allow more than 24 points in a game. Meanwhile, former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham has hit roadblock after roadblock in a rough debut season at Michigan.

No. 7 UCLA (7-0)

There’s something about these former James Madison coaches. After Curt Cignetti pulled off a turnaround for the ages at Indiana, Bob Chesney has orchestrated a nearly similar rebuilding project in his first season at UCLA, the only unbeaten team in the Big Ten. Like Kentucky, the Bruins have navigated into position where only a total collapse could keep them from at least an at-large berth. They close the year with Nevada, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan and No. 25 Southern California, with the Gophers and Wolverines on the road.

No. 8 Kentucky (7-1)

Stein’s arrival at Kentucky also contributed to Oregon’s strange decline. After losing Stein, Dan Lanning promoted Drew Mehringer to offensive coordinator from within his staff; Mehringer has already been fired, though he wasn’t helped by the season-ending injury to Dante Moore. Stein’s touch with quarterbacks has carried over to the SEC. Former Notre Dame backup Kenny Minchey has just one interception in 232 attempts and has been seriously good in conference play since a lopsided loss to No. 10 Alabama back in early September.

No. 15 Wake Forest (6-1)

After winning nine games last year under Jake Dickert, the Demon Deacons have climbed behind only No. 1 Miami in the ACC and might have a case for an at-large if this is a two-bid league. That will take some work and some help. For starters, Wake needs to run the table and have a competitive loss to the Hurricanes in the ACC championship after playing them tight in September. The Demon Deacons also need Louisville to close strong while teams in the SEC continue to cannibalize themselves, leaving the league with mostly three-loss playoff contenders. Even if his team comes up short, Dickert has put himself on the list for most Power Four openings this winter.

No. 18 Northwestern (6-1)

Northwestern hasn’t really beaten anybody: South Dakota State, Colorado, Penn State, Ball State, Michigan State and Rutgers. The Wildcats nearly upset Indiana, though, and embarrassed the Buffaloes and Nittany Lions. This might end up being an eight- or nine-win team based on the home stretch of Oregon, No. 24 Iowa, No. 2 Ohio State, Minnesota and Illinois, which could earn David Braun his second Big Ten Coach of the Year award.

No. 20 Florida (5-2)

The Gators have been on the rollercoaster under new coach Jon Sumrall, going from unranked in the preseason to No. 8 in the US LBM Coaches Poll after beating No. 12 Mississippi to unranked again after back-to-back losses to then moving back into the poll after upsetting No. 11 Texas. While the Gators are very unpredictable and should lose this weekend to No. 3 Georgia, they could still be a three-loss playoff contender by beating Kentucky on the road next month.

Oklahoma State (5-2)

Oklahoma State was pegged as a surprise team after hiring former North Texas coach Eric Morris, who brought along key transfers such as quarterback Drew Mestemaker. A loss to Tulsa right out of the gate threw cold water on those expectations. But the Cowboys have righted the ship by beating Oregon and taking three of four in the Big 12, with the one loss coming by a field goal at No. 19 Houston.

Wisconsin (5-2)

Wisconsin is on the verge of a national ranking after last week’s 24-7 win against Southern California. Better yet, the 5-2 start has basically ensured another year for coach Luke Fickell, who was given more resources and has built a Big Ten contender. While he’s been far more perfect as a passer, former Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph has 15 combined touchdowns and leads the team with 365 rushing yards. The Badgers are a serious playoff contender thanks to a remaining schedule with Iowa, Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota.

Virginia Tech (6-2)

Like Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech was expected to be much better in James Franklin’s first season. (His old team, Penn State, has been a major flop.) Being 6-2 at this point isn’t too much of a shock given the Hokies’ schedule and the talent brought in by the new staff. Still, the Hokies lost on a late touchdown to California and narrowly missed a field goal on the final play of a 35-33 loss to Pittsburgh, so not much is separating this team from being unbeaten. Last week’s win at Clemson sets up a crucial November featuring No. 16 SMU, Miami and Virginia.